Define the Symptoms of Yersinia enterolytica infection

Symptoms: Symptoms of the gastroenteritis syndrome develop several days following ingestion of contaminated foods and are characterized by abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Children appear to be more susceptible than adults and the organism may be present in stools for up to 40 days following illness. A variety of systemic involvements may occur as a consequence of the gastroenteritis syndrome.

The usual symptoms, including severe  abdominal pain, fever and diarrhoea occur 24 to 36 hours after consumption of the product. The abdominal discomfort is quite specific and usually manifests itself as a sharp pain in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen. For  this reason it has frequently been described as pseudoappendicitis.

Although the organism has been isolated from many foods, there have been relatively few food-borne  outbreaks attributed to Y. enterolytica. The unique characteristic of the organism is its ability to grow at commercial refrigeration temperatures, i.e. less than 5⁰C.